In the construction of the traditional log structure, logs are stacked one upon the other to form the walls of the structure with a sealing material packed in the seams between logs to seal any gaps between logs. Where two walls intersect, the logs of each wall are provided with downwardly disposed saddle notches which are designed to closely receive the upper portion of a log of the intersecting wall. Thus, at the corner joints of the structure the logs of intersecting walls alternately interlock, with the saddle notch of the log of one wall engaging the top portion of the log of the intersecting wall. Whereas, this traditional construction method normally produces a strong durable structure, such structures tend to be poorly insulated. For the most part, this is a result of the logs simply being stacked one upon another with the only insulating barrier between the logs being the sealing material. This insulating problem is particularly acute at the corner joints where logs of intersecting walls interlock. Further, because the traditional process involves the simple stacking of logs with no specific engaging means being provided for locking the logs together other than the sealant, proper alignment of the logs to produce true vertical walls and perpendicular corner joints can be difficult and time consuming to achieve.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved log for constructing log structures and an associated log fabricating process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved log having a tongue and groove along its top and bottom portions, respectively, for engaging other such improved logs to effect a more durable, better insulated log structure, and to provide a fabricating process for such improved log.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved log having an improved saddle notch for producing durable, better insulated, corner joints for log structures.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved log which is self-truing such that proper alignment of the walls of a log structure is facilitated, and to provide a fabricating process for such logs.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved log which is inexpensive to fabricate and results in log structures which are inexpensive to construct and maintain.